Pear Honey

I am lucky enough to have two pear trees in the yard in my new house. The one pear tree we have know about since we bought the house, but Lenny just found the second pear tree while I was away at the State Fair of West Virginia. The first pear tree has very little pears, but the second pear tree has pears like you would buy at the grocery store. The only problem is that we found this tree after most of the pears had fallen off and gone bad. I cannot wait till next year because hopefully we will be able to get a lot more pears from this tree.

Anyways ever since we found out about the pear tree my dad has talked about Pear Honey that his mother used to make. Therefore when I got back home from the fair and discovered that the pears were ripe I called my dad to get the recipe. I think that the pear honey is really good. I was a little skeptical about it when he first mentioned it, but it actually has a honey taste to it.


Ingredients:
5 pounds of pears
10 cups of sugar
2 cups of crushed pineapple
11 1/2 pint jars

Directions:
Peel, core, and slice the pears.
Grind the pears up in a food processor.
Mix pears, sugar, and pineapple in a large pan.
Cook until the pears are clear.
Pour into 11 1/2 pint jars and place in a hot water bath the seal.

Zucchini Bread

Here is the second Zucchini Bread that I made with the zucchini from church. I think that I still have enough zucchini to make four more loaves, but I think that they will have to wait till I get back from the West Virginia State Fair!!!

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used Walnuts)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

Recipe from Paula Dean, picture from my kitchen.

Peach Jam

I love having fruit trees. So far I have made 16 half pints of Peach jam with at least enough peach left to make 6-7 more half pints.

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped peaches

2 TBSP lemon juice

5 ½ cup granulated sugar

1 pouches of Certo Crystals

6-7 1 cup (1/2 pint) sterile jars and lids

Directions:

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PEEL and pit peaches. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in pectin. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

STIR sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids springs back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Recipe from the Certo package and picture from my kitchen.

Zucchini Bread

Our church has a box that they set out front that people with gardens can put their extra stuff in. Last week there were tons of zucchini in the box. I decided after going by the box four times that I would take a zucchini to make some bread. This is the first recipe that I made. It was delicious, but I did not get the pan greased enough so part of it stayed stuck on the bottom.


Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Peach Cobbler

Well, when we bought our new home I noticed that we had quite a few fruit trees. Well one of these trees was a peach tree. The peaches just started getting ripe so I decided to make a peach cobbler since Lenny and my dad really like cobblers.

Peaches from my tree

The peaches cooking

The yummy final product.

Ingredients:

1/2	cup sugar
1	tablespoon cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon ground cinnamon
4	cups sliced fresh peaches (6 medium)
1	teaspoon lemon juice
3	tablespoons shortening
1	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	cup milk
	Cream, if desired

Directions:

1.	Heat oven to 400º.
2.	Mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole; keep peach mixture hot in oven.
3.	Cut shortening into flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder and salt in medium bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture look like fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot peach mixture.
4.	Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm with cream if desired.

Recipe from Betty Crocker and pictures from my kitchen.

Chocolate Cake with Coconut Cream Filling

I also made this cake for the dinner that the Quiet Dell United Methodist women are serving on Monday evening. I made this cake because my mom was out of town this weekend for her 35th High School Graduation Reunion. My husband actually cake up with the idea for this cake and then I went off on the internet to find all the peices so that I could put it together. I hope that everyone like it this evening.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1/2 cup coffee or water

4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour your choice of pan(s): one 9" x 13" pan, two 9" round pans, three 8" round pans, or the wells of two muffin tins. You can also line the muffin tins with papers, and spray the insides of the papers.

1. Place a strainer over a large mixing bowl. Measure in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar. Sift/shake the dry ingredients through the strainer into a mixing bowl, to eliminate any lumps.

2. Add the butter and mix at low speed for 1 minutes. With the mixer running, add the oil and continue mixing until the mixture looks like sand.

3. Combine the vanilla with the milk and coffee or water, and add all at once. Mix for 1 minute at low speed, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for 30 seconds more.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well at medium-high speed between additions.

5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, and mix for 1 minute more. The batter will be thin.

6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan of your choice. For layers, divide the batter among the pans. Smooth out the tops of the layers with an offset spatula or the back of a tablespoon. For cupcakes, scoop by the heaping 1/4 cup into the prepared muffin tins.

7. Bake for 34 minutes for a 9" x 13" pan; 28 to 30 minutes for 9" layers; 24 to 26 minutes for 8" layers, or 21 to 23 minutes for cupcakes.

8. The cake is done when the top springs back when very lightly touched in the center, and the edges just begin to pull away from the edge of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

9. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack to cool before removing it from the pan.

Coconut Cream Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 box instant coconut cream pudding

1/8 cup coconut

Directions:

Beat heavy cream and sugar with a mixer on medium high speed until mixture thickens. Fold in dry pudding and coconut. Let mixture sit in refrigerator for 20 minutes or until ready to use.

Coconut Icing

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
1/2 cup coconut
8 oz. frozen whipped topping

2 graham crackers (garnish)

Directions:

Combine ingredients, blending until smooth. Spread on top and sides of cake. Garnish with with graham crackers.

Cake and Filling recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights and icing by me. Picture from my kitchen.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients:
1 cup confections' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Icing is from Barefoot Contessa

Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

The United Methodist Women are serving a dinner on Monday evening. I was asked to make a cake so off I went to find a recipe. I saw this recipe of Annie's Eats and decided that I needed make this because I love Reese's Cups. Mine does not look anywhere as good as Annie's does, but I hope that tomorrow at the dinner it will get rave reviews.


Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

For decorating:
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions:
For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Recipe from Annie's Eats, and picture from my kitchen.